A group, Women Initiative for Family Economy, has called on Nigerians to consider the potential consequences of the planned nationwide strike.
TVN reports that there is a growing call for a nationwide protest to express dissatisfaction with the current economic situation in the country.
In a press conference addressed by Ambassador Aisha Abdulkadir, the coordinator of the Women Initiative for Family Economy, the group noted that the right to peaceful protest was enshrined in democracy and was a powerful tool for voicing concerns.
It, however, recalled the impact of the EndSARS protests of October 2020 which it believed was still fresh in the collective memory of the citizenry.
It recalled that what began as a peaceful demand for the end of police brutality tragically escalated into widespread chaos.
“A nationwide protest at this juncture could lead us down a similar path of disruption and hardship. Strikes and protests, while powerful, often come with unintended consequences.
“They can cripple our economy, disrupt essential services, and exacerbate the very issues they aim to address. The most vulnerable among us—daily wage earners, small business owners, students, and patients in hospitals—are often the ones who bear the brunt of such actions.
“However, the call for protest underscores a critical point: the economic hardships that many Nigerians are facing.
“We believe that through dialogue, we can address grievances and work together toward sustainable solutions.
“While the right to protest is fundamental, we must consider the potential risks and consequences of a nationwide protest. The government is dedicated to addressing the economic hardships facing our country and is actively working on solutions.
“Let us choose the path of cooperation over disruption and chaos. Together, we can build a Nigeria that offers prosperity and opportunity for all.
“As a mother, my heart aches at the thought of losing more of our young ones to violence. I urge all of us to consider alternative measures to protest in ways that preserve lives while still demanding the change we so desperately need. Let us protect our children and each other by seeking peaceful, strategic avenues for our advocacy,” the group said.
‘Our hearts ache’ – Women group begs Nigerians over nationwide protest
‘Our hearts ache’ – Women group begs Nigerians over nationwide protest
Insecurity causing devastating effect on Zamfara women, children – Commissioner
Zamfara State Commissioner for Women, Children and Social Development Affairs, Dr. Nafisa Muhammad Maradun has said that the security challenges facing the state are having devastating effects on the people, especially women and children.
The Commissioner stated that to safeguard lives and properties of the people, the State Government established the Community Protection Guards, CPG, and SecurityTrust Fund, STF.
Maradun said this during the Final Interstate Forum on the Protection of Our Communities Initiative (POC), titled “Putting Words to Action – Sustainability and Future Directions 2024”.
This was contained in a statement she personally issued to newsmen in Gusau, the State capital on Friday.
She assured that Zamfara State Government was fully committed to sustaining peace-building efforts through the POC Initiatives.
“I extend my deepest gratitude to the Neem Foundation, KARUNA CENTER for Peacebuilding, and the collaborating local Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), Voluntary Aid Initiative, Zamfara State, for their dedication and unwavering support.
“The Protecting Our Community Initiative (POCI) Project has been a beacon of hope for Zamfara State, especially in these challenging times, through frequent dialogues, Early Warning and Early Response Mechanisms, radio programs, among others,” she said.
Maradun further pointed out that the POC project had amplified the voices of women and youth, empowering them to make their communities safer.
“The focus on those affected by the farmer-herder crises has been particularly impactful, bringing much-needed attention and solutions to this pressing issue.
“We recognize the importance of these initiatives in creating a peaceful and secure environment for all our citizens, and we pledge our continued support and collaboration,” she added.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Benue State, Hon. Aondowase Kunde, said that the ongoing violent conflict that had led to the influx of Internally Displaced Persons in the State had posed a challenge to the ministry and the government at large.
He commended the collaborating partners and stakeholders on the POC project for strengthening peaceful coexistence among communities.
Speaking, the Executive Director of the Voluntary Aid Initiative (VAI), a Zamfara-based CSO, Alhaji Musa Umar, said the POC project aimed at exploring new ways of resolving conflict by building on women’s and youth’s knowledge to increase civilian security through Early Warning and Early Response, (EWER).
Insecurity causing devastating effect on Zamfara women, children – Commissioner
Enugu: Nkerefi community urges Gov Mbah not to recognise monarch
The people of Ishienu Amofu Peoples Assembly have rejected the purported emergence of Chief Michael Christian Ogbonnaya as the Igwe of Ishienu Amofu Nkerefi, in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State.
They asked Governor Peter Mbah not to recognise anyone as the traditional of the community as no election had been held.
This comes after Ogbonnaya was announced as the new monarch of the community.
In a statement signed by Prince I. O. Ezeoha, the Acting Chairman of Ishienu Amofu Nkerefi Peoples Assembly, he said there was no such election.
“Let it be on record that no election held anywhere in Ishienu Amofu Nkerefi on or any other date for that matter.
“So, if there was no election, how then can an Igwe emerge?
“It is sad that a once-respected son of Nkerefi is struggling to impose himself on the people by claiming our revered Igwe’s throne, and parading himself as our traditional ruler,” he alleged in the statement.
He urged the Enugu State Government, the ministries, and the general public to be aware “that the electoral process that will give us an Igwe has not been held yet.
“They will also be informed when a new Igwe emerges and he will be formally presented to the relevant ministries, including the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Local Government Affairs, and our dear Governor.”
Enugu: Nkerefi community urges Gov Mbah not to recognise monarch
Harris to allow newborn babies’ murder, Trump alleges
United States presidential candidate Donald Trump falsely accused election rival Kamala Harris of being an anti-Semite who plans to allow the murder of newborn babies, in a speech meant to rally religious supporters Friday that quickly went off the rails.
The vice president, who is married to a Jewish man, has gained ground on Trump in polling since she replaced Joe Biden on the top of the Democratic ticket just days ago.
Former Republican president Trump dedicated much of his address at a religious convention in southern Florida to assailing Harris’s record as a senator and as Biden’s number two, but many of his attacks were smears untethered to reality.
Explaining why 59-year-old Harris had skipped Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyau’s speech to the US Congress on Wednesday to instead honor a prior commitment, Trump accused her, baselessly, of anti-Semitism.
“She doesn’t like Jewish people. She doesn’t like Israel. That’s the way it is, and that’s the way it’s always going to be. She’s not going to change,” he said.
The remark — coupled with his claim that Harris “is totally against the Jewish people” in North Carolina on Wednesday — marked an escalation in Trump’s incendiary rhetoric, days after his campaign said an attempt on his life had given him a focus on unity.
The hour-long Friday speech, hosted by hard-right Turning Point Action, raised legitimate questions over Harris’s previous statements on policing, immigration, and the environment that placed her to the left of current Biden administration policy.
But it was marked by hyperbole and falsehood.
* ‘Execute the baby’ –
Trump — a convicted felon who is fighting multiple further indictments — suggested baselessly that the Justice Department and FBI were “rounding up” Christians and anti-abortion activists and throwing them in jail for their “religious beliefs.”
He also called Biden’s decision to exit the election campaign a “coup” by Democrats and said America was a “laughing stock.”
But he saved his darkest vitriol for Harris, calling her a “bum” and a failed vice president who had rejected federal judges for being Catholic and would appoint “hardcore Marxists” to the Supreme Court.
He also accused her falsely of wanting to force doctors to give chemical castration drugs to children and suggested she might cheat to win in November.
“If Kamala Harris has her way, they will have a federal law for abortion, to rip the baby out of the womb in the eighth, ninth month and even after birth — execute the baby after birth,” he claimed, in perhaps his most egregious calumny.
78-year-old Trump, now the oldest major-party nominee in history, is scrambling to reorient an election against someone two decades his junior, having expected to face an 81-year-old incumbent Biden beset by concerns over infirmity.
Just last week, the former reality TV star was in cruise control as he accepted a hero’s welcome — and the official presidential nomination — at the Republican convention in Milwaukee.
* Crowning glory –
His crowning glory came a week after a gunman nearly killed him at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania — an extraordinary incident that Trump vowed Friday to commemorate with “a big and beautiful” new rally in the town, although he did not give a date.
Seeking to become the first female president in US history, Harris is tasked with rapidly assembling a campaign against an opponent who has been in near-permanent reelection mode since he became president in 2016.
Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama pledged support for Harris earlier Friday, as polls showed her closing the gap that Trump had built over Biden to make the race a statistical tie.
A top California prosecutor and senator before being elected the country’s first female and first Black and South Asian vice president, Harris has highlighted Trump’s criminal conviction and what she said Thursday is a Republican attack on “hard-fought freedoms” in US society.
Democrats leapt on a Trump campaign announcement late Thursday that cast into doubt whether he will debate Harris.
“It shows that he’s afraid,” Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a major Harris campaign advocate, told MSNBC.
“It shows that he knows that if the two of them are on a stage together, it’s not going to end well for him.”
AFP
Top 10 stories from across Nigerian Newspapers, Saturday, July 27, 2024
Here are the top 10 stories making headlines across the country.
1. IGP orders #EndBadGovernance protesters to submit names, contact details to police
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on Friday asked individuals behind the #EndBadGovernance protests in the country to submit their details to the Force authorities.Read more
2. Organizers of #EndBadGovernance protest are opportunists after political power —Omokri
Former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri has denounced the organisers of the #EndBadGovernance protests, saying they are opportunists who are after political power.Read more
3. Obasanjo claims witches and wizards delayed his birth
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo said on Friday his mother carried his pregnancy for 12 months due to the power of witches and wizards.Read more
4. UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Muhammed briefs Tinubu on ECOWAS mission
The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Ms. Amina Mohammed, said on Friday her mission to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) countries forming a new alliance was successful.Read more
5. Ex-Rivers LGA chiefs tackle Fubara over caretaker committees, threaten to occupy offices
Former local government chairmen in Rivers State on Friday faulted the continued stay of caretaker committee chairmen in office weeks after the Supreme Court declared such as illegal in the councils.Read more
READ ALSO:Top 10 stories from across Nigerian Newspapers, Wednesday, July 24, 2024
6. Edo Deputy Gov Shaibu opens up on real reason for fallout with Obaseki
Reinstated Edo Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu has revealed that he would have abandoned his governorship ambition if his principal, Godwin Obaseki, had approached him reasonably.Read more
7. Ahead of Toleram takeover, Guinness Nigeria records N54.7bn full-year loss
Guinness Nigeria Plc has reported a N54.7 billion loss for the financial year ended June 30, 2024.Read more
8. NGX: Equities market in massive slump as investors lose N1.1tr
Investors in the Nigerian equities market lost N1.1 trillion at the close of trading on Friday.Read more
9. Man arrested for ritual killing of friend in Osun
Police operatives in Osun have arrested a 50-year-old man for allegedly killing his friend for a money ritual in the state.Read more
10. Glamour, splendour as athletes parade in boats at Paris Olympics ceremony
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games have officially kicked off on Friday with the opening ceremonies featuring so much glamour during the parade of athletes.Read more
The post Top 10 stories from across Nigerian Newspapers, Saturday, July 27, 2024 appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from TVN.
Messi out for Inter Miami as Leagues Cup begins
Lionel Messi will not play for Inter Miami as the defending Leagues Cup champions begin their repeat bid on Saturday at home against Puebla, Miami coach Gerardo Martino said Friday.
The 37-year-old Argentine striker suffered a right ankle injury in his nation’s victory over Colombia in the Copa America final this month.
Messi missed two MLS matches last week and Wednesday’s MLS All-Star Game against Mexico’s Liga MX All-Stars.
Martino said Messi remains in a walking boot as he works with club trainers but “the ankle is getting better and better,” according to the Miami coach.
Last year, Messi arrived at Inter Miami and led the club on a title run in the inaugural edition of the Leagues Cup, which features MLS and Mexican clubs in a World Cup-style format.
There are 15 three-team groups in the first round and two from each will advance to the knockout stages along with the reigning league champions, Club America and the MLS Columbus Crew.
This year’s opening matches were played Friday with host Orlando routing Montreal 4-1, DC United winning 6-5 on penalties after a 3-3 draw at Atlanta and 10-man host Austin edging Mexico’s Pumas 3-2.
Icelandic midfielder Dagur Thorhallsson, Uruguay’s Facundo Torres and Argentine striker Ramiro Enrique gave Orlando a 3-0 half-time lead and Argentina’s Martin Ojeda added another goal in the 57th minute while Montreal’s Josef Martinez, a Venezuelan midfielder, averted a shutout loss in the 69th.
Austin goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland denied a penalty shot by Pumas striker Guillermo Martinez in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time as the Texas club hung on after Osman Bukari’s red card in the 34th minute with Austin up 1-0 on Alexander Ring’s eighth-minute goal.
Gyasi Zardes and Sebastian Driussi added goals for Austin while Martinez and Ali Avila scored for Pumas to set up the thrilling finish.
DC United’s scheduled home match against Santos Laguna next Wednesday at Audi Field was moved to the home stadium of the Philadelphia Union — Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania — due to concerns over field conditions in Washington.
Leagues Cup organizers fined DC United an undisclosed sum over conditions, with the club saying it is installing a new grass field at the stadium on July 31, a move that had been previously planned for August 1.
AFP
Tinubu can’t dump 1999 constitution, says APC
The All Progressives Congress has urged organisers of the planned August 1 nationwide protest to shelve its agitation to have President Bola Tinubu scrap the 1999 Constitution, describing it as a tall order.
The ruling party disclosed this after a closed-door meeting with the Forum of APC State Chairmen to discuss the modalities of the proposed protest at the national secretariat in Abuja on Friday.
In the last two decades, the need to change the Nigerian Constitution has become a hot debate among several state actors and elder statesmen.
On March 18, The According reported how Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, joined former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku; former governors, notable diplomats, legal practitioners and other elder statesmen to advocate that Nigeria jettison the 1999 Constitution for lack of legitimacy.
But the ruling party through its National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, insisted that the renewed agitation to have the President dump the constitution he vowed to protect would amount to a mission impossible.
Basiru’s statement was a response to one of the 15 demands of the organisers of the proposed hunger strike protest.
The protest, scheduled to hold from August 1-15, has generated tension and elicited mixed reactions among Nigerians in the past two weeks.
It also trended for weeks on social media space with hashtags like ‘EndBadGovernance’ and ‘Tinubu Must Go.’
According to the APC national secretary, Tinubu alone doesn’t have the power to dump the 1999 Constitution.
He said, “On an intellectual basis, the meeting of the National Working Committee and the chairman of our party looked at what was put forward as a charter of demands, 15 of them. We looked at it and most of the issues raised there are not matters for protest. That is because they border on the issue of politics and the issue of amendments to the constitution.
“And we took them one by one. First, they said ‘scrap the 1999 Constitution and replace it with a people-made constitution for the Federal Republic of Nigeria through a sovereign national conference followed by a national referendum. The question is this, who will scrap the 1999 constitution? Is it a president who is elected and sworn to oppose the 1999 constitution? Even the right of a protester to protest is predicated on their rights under the 1999 constitution.
“The constitutional amendments in Nigeria cannot be done by presidential fiat. The president alone cannot sack the 1999 constitution. It requires four-fifths of the members of the National Assembly and two-thirds of the State (House of) Assembly to be able to do so. The first demand is asking of the president what he does not have the power and will to do.”
The APC also frowned at the push to have the Senate sacked, leaving only the House of Representatives to take care of the business of lawmaking.
Basiru stated that even the APC state chairmen could not agree less than that it was a contradiction since what it requires was just an amendment and not a total discarding of the entire constitution.
“Again, they said the Senate should be tossed away and the House of Representatives should be in place and have a part-time endeavour. That would suppose they are no longer talking about scrapping the 1999 Constitution. They are talking about amending the 1999 Constitution because the House of Representatives was established under the 1999 Constitution.
“So, presently there is an ongoing constitutional amendment by the National Assembly. Anybody legitimately interested in cutting costs of governance by sending away the Senate and retaining the lower chamber should prepare the necessary memorandum, and mobilise the National Assembly members as well as the State Assembly so that it can be amended.
“Beyond the general statements discussed, the National Working Committee in the meeting with the State APC Chairmen also got to check what was pushed out by the so-called organisers of the protest. One, we were shocked that the title of the protest is called #EndBadGovernance. It signals that you are not protesting but want to carry out a revolution.
“Revolution is not something you use protests for, and where such occurs, it comes with immense violence. This is not a time when our country will require violence and disruption of the efforts done by the President and the administration. So we want to urge Nigerians to be alive to the fact that the government will not be in a position to sit and allow violence to be meted on hapless citizens of the country,” he stated.
Group advocates removal of Narcotics from exclusive list, rejects death penalty for addicts
A non-governmental organization, Bensther Foundation, has advocated the removal of narcotics from the exclusive list.
Executive Director of the foundation, Nonso Maduka made the call during a media parley on ‘Nigeria Drug Law: Way Forward’, held in Enugu.
The parley was organized in collaboration with the National Human Rights Commission and Youthrise Nigeria, during which the organisation also rejected the death penalty for drug addicts.
In a speech at the occasion, Maduka stressed that there was a need to remove the issue of substance use (Narcotics) from the exclusive list to enable states adopt approaches they believed would be effective in the fight against drug abuse and other drug issues.
He insisted that states “under the exclusive list, cannot cannot do anything except they go to Abuja”, advocating that the issue of substance use should run concurrently like other health issues.
“We need to remove the issue of substance use, narcotics, from the exclusive list, let it run concurrently just like other health issues because the drugs laws are under the exclusive list, states cannot do anything and if they have to do anything, they have to go to Abuja,” he said.
Maduka stressed the need for amendment of some drug laws so that the NDLEA would not be a prosecutor and a judge at the same time.
He further suggested that the NDLEA should focus on drug supply reduction, explaining that drug demand reduction required strong staff strength which he said the agency lacked at the moment.
Maduka refused to throw his weight behind the death penalty for drug offenders, saying they have helped many drug addicts in Enugu.
Group advocates removal of Narcotics from exclusive list, rejects death penalty for addicts
Oando denies owning blending plant in Malta
Oando PLC has denied allegations on social and digital media that it owns a blending plant in Malta.
The energy company also denied importing dirty fuel into Nigeria through a Maltese company, Raz Hansir Oil Terminal Limited.
A statement by the company secretary, Ayotola Jagun, said the allegations levelled against Oando of being a shareholder, and its principals of being board members of Raz Hansir Oil Terminal Limited, a company that operates an oil storage and blending facility responsible for importing adulterated petroleum products into Nigeria, were unfounded.
“We wish to refute such claims and attest that neither Oando PLC nor its Executives have ever held shares, investments, or interests in the fictitious Maltese company.
“As part of a comprehensive investigation into the basis of the false claims, we conducted a search of the Malta Business Registry, the official repository for all registered entities past and current within the country. Our search yielded no results for a company bearing that name. Subsequent due diligence efforts similarly failed to uncover any record of the company’s existence.
“We therefore believe that the false claims are of the malicious intent of misleading the public and our stakeholders,” Jagun stated.
The company reiterated that as a publicly listed company, any corporate actions, such as acquisitions, are declared publicly in accordance with applicable corporate governance laws and rules.
“Furthermore, it is imperative that information released about a publicly quoted company such as Oando, is thoroughly researched and deemed accurate before it is published in the public domain.
“The company’s securities are traded daily across two exchanges (NGX and JSE). To prevent misinformation and confusion among investors, as well as our other stakeholders, we implore all members of the press to take adequate steps to ensure the veracity of reports by fielding all enquiries with Oando PLC’s Corporate Communications department,” Jagun submitted.
Malta and its oil became a topic of discussion lately following allegations by the President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote that some officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited own blending plants in Malta.
Amid the crisis surrounding his $20bn refinery, Dangote had said: Some of the terminals, some of the NNPC people and some traders have opened blending plants somewhere off Malta. We all know these areas. We know what they are doing,” Dangote said.
Data from Trade Map showed that Nigeria imported fuel worth $2bn in 2023 alone.
Earlier, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPC, Mele Kyari, said he does not own a blending plant outside Nigeria.
Kyari stated that he had been inundated with calls from family members and friends, asking if he truly owned a blending plant in Malta.
Organisers dare FG, insist on August rallies
- Nobody in the world can stop us, says northern group
- IG claims foreign infilteration, youths accuse DSS of freezing account
- Shelve your demonstration, Tantita boss, Tompolo, begs organisers
As momentum continues to gather ahead of the planned nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest, some organisers, who all the while were tagged ‘faceless’, have revealed their identities, Saturday According reports.
They also insisted that they remained undaunted and would hit the streets on August 1 to demonstrate against bad governance, hardship and hunger.
The groups, numbering at least 26, have made it known that they would take to the streets to protest the prevailing hardship, hunger, and bad governance.
Saturday According gathered that the groups had also written to at least 20 state governments, seeking permission to use state infrastructure to carry out their civic duty.
Some of the groups, Saturday According can confirm, include Concerned Nigerians, Nigerians Against Hunger, Initiative for Change, Take it Back Movement, Revolution Now, Human Rights Co-Advocacy Group, Nigerians Against Corruption Initiative, Citizens for Change Advocacy Initiative, Timely Intervention, and Active Citizens Group.
Others include Students for Change, We Coalition, Total Intervention, Refurbished Nigeria, Tomorrow Today, Our Future in Our Own Hands Initiative, Youths Against Tyranny, and Call a Spade a Spade Movement, among others.
Several others, who spoke to our correspondents but chose to remain anonymous, numbered over six, including an all-female group.
One of the organisers, who is the Convener of the Revolution Now Movement, Mr Omoyele Sowore, released a list of locations for the upcoming #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest, scheduled to take place in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
He said the protest was aimed at bringing attention to the country’s governance issues.
Sowore, a former presidential candidate, urged Nigerians wishing to participate in the campaign to add their towns or cities if they had not already been listed.
He announced the designated locations for the protest in various states including Lagos, Kano, Bauchi, Enugu, Jigawa, Ekiti, Cross River, and the Federal Capital Territory, among others.
The listed locations include Ikorodu, Lagos Island, Lekki/Ajah axis, Badagry, Ikeja, and Epe in Lagos State; Kano main town in Kano State; Azare and Bauchi town in Bauchi State; Enugu city and Nsukka in Enugu State; and Dutse and Kazaure in Jigawa State.
Also listed were Ado-Ekiti and Ikere Ekiti in Ekiti State; Calabar in Cross River State, and Gwagalada and Central Business District in the Federal Capital Territory, among others.
Another organiser, who is the Director of Mobilisation, Take it Back Movement, FCT, Damilare Adenola, said the protest was backed by several groups in the country.
“This is not about one group or another. It is about angry and hungry Nigerians who are tired of this system. Protest is our right. Nobody can take it away from us. We have already written to the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, to avail us of the National Stadium built with taxpayers’ money for our peaceful demonstration,” he said.
The group had written to Wike on Friday to grant them the use of Eagle Square for the proposed #EndBadGovernance protest scheduled to be held from August 1 to 10.
They demanded provision of 24-hour power supply, toilet facilities, water, and security for the convenience of citizens who would be camped out at the location.
The statement titled, ‘Request for use of Eagle Square Abuja for #EndBadGovernance protest,’ read, “As one of the groups organizing the forthcoming #EndBadGovernance protest, #DaysOfRage starting from August 1st to 10th, 2024, we at the Take It Back Movement write to your esteemed office to notify you of our decision to use Eagle Square as a point of convergence for patriotic Nigerians to demand better governance.”
A representative of Nigerians Against Hunger, Tunde Thomas, speaking to Saturday According, said Nigeria was tired of the hunger in the land, adding that the government should intervene.
“Our demands are simple – End hunger. We cannot be the most populous Black nation in the world and be hungry,” he said.
The Secretary-General of the Initiative for Change, Mr Ocean Panem, said the August 1 protest was not a riot but a way to “echo the voices of all Nigerians.”
“The country is in a mess. We need to recognise that. Members of our group are mostly in the Middle Belt and in Cross River. We would come out en masse and make sure we don’t stop till our demands are met,” he said.
A student group leader, who did not want to be named for fear of victimisation, said members of her group, who are mostly law students and students of history, would storm the streets on August 1 to protest.
Nobody can stop protest – Northern group
Speaking in an interview with Saturday According, the National Chairman of the Northern Comrades Movement of Nigeria, Jabir Yaro, said, “Nothing will stop this protest. Nobody in this world can stop this protest. It will happen and everybody should come out en masse to protest. No level of intimidation will stop us.
Reacting to the withdrawal from the planned protest by another northern group, he said, “Those were APC boys who were paid for propaganda; we are the youth leaders, and we are set for this protest. We are expecting millions of people for this protest. We have informed the security agencies, and we are ready for it.”
Youths accuse DSS of freezing account
The Take it Back Movement in a post on X accused the DSS of freezing its United Bank of Africa account to starve it of funds.
The group threatened legal action if its account wasn’t unfrozen in the next 24 hours.
It read, “It has now come to our attention that @UBAGroup has frozen our account on the instructions of the DSS over our involvement in the forthcoming protest. We describe this action as lawless, and demand our account be unfrozen immediately within the next 24 hours, without which a legal action will be instituted.”
IG sets guidelines
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, urged all groups planning to participate in the nationwide protest to submit their details to the commissioners of police in their respective states.
He made this known while addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday, adding that this was to ensure that the protest was peaceful.
Egbetokun said, “We acknowledge the constitutional right of Nigerian citizens to peaceful assembly and protest. However, in the interest of public safety and order, we urge all groups planning to protest to provide necessary details to the Commissioner of Police in the state where the protest is intended to take place.”
He also stated that the proposed protest routes and assembly points must be made known.
The IG noted that the expected duration of the protest and the names and contact details of protest leaders and organisers must also be provided.
Further speaking, he said there must be measures put in place to prevent the hijacking of the protest by criminal elements, including “key identifiers for possible isolation of potential troublemakers.”
Egbetokun said intelligence at the disposal of the Force also revealed that foreign mercenaries were involved in the proposed nationwide protest.
Palpable tension
Meanwhile, tension has pervaded major cities in Nigeria ahead of the planned nationwide protest.
Despite pleas, persuasions, warnings, and subtle threats from state and non-state actors, the organisers of the protest have remained resolute, declaring that they will occupy the country as scheduled.
Tagged #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria, the protest has generated controversies across Nigeria, making it the leading political and security discussion in the country.
President Bola Tinubu met with governors under the All Progressives Congress and prominent traditional rulers on Thursday to discuss the protest.
Tinubu had earlier pleaded with the organisers to give him more time and shelve the demonstration.
Aside from the President, other stakeholders are also worried about the implications of the demonstration, citing the ongoing national protest in Kenya and the 2020 #EndSARS protest in Nigeria.
On Thursday, the Department of State Services warned the organisers of the protest against proceeding with it, describing it as politically motivated.
The DSS disclosed that it had uncovered a plan by some criminal elements to hijack the protest and cause unrest in the country.
The Defence Headquarters also declared that the planned protest had the potential to degenerate into anarchy and a reign of terror.
Saturday According noted that the police embarked on a show of strength in Lagos, Abuja, Akwa Ibom, and other parts of the country, in preparation to forestall a possible breakdown of law and order.
However, organisers of the nationwide protest said no amount of threats would stop them.
Speaking with Saturday According in a telephone interview on Thursday, Sowore said the goal of the protest would be achieved and would last longer than any previous protest.
Sowore, a former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress in the 2023 elections, allayed the fears of Nigerians regarding violence on the protest day, saying it would be a success for the police and other security agencies.
He said, “This protest has many Nigerians working simultaneously to achieve the same goal of ending poor governance. We are happy that many more Nigerians have come to the same conclusion we reached five years ago: that a revolution is inevitable.
“The ruling APC understands that Nigerians have figured out that they are a fraudulent party that came to power by deceit and has remained in power through roguery. They are aware that Nigerians are tired of the party, its leaders, and its policies. To sustain the demand for real change, this revolt is planned to last longer than any other in Nigeria’s history.”
A sociopolitical activist and Convener, Concerned Nigerians, Deji Adeyanju, warned the Federal Government and security agents against sending individuals to attack the protesters. Adeyanju, one of the protest organisers, stated that the protest would be peaceful as long as the government did not try to disrupt it in any part of the country.
He said the protest was prompted by prevailing hunger, corruption, budget padding, and other issues in the country.
Group writes Lagos CP for security
Saturday According gathered that the Lagos State chapter of the Active Citizens Group Nigeria had notified the state Commissioner of Police of its intention to participate in the protest.
The group’s state Co-ordinator, Adamma Ukpabi, notified authorities in a letter, citing rights to free speech and assembly.
According to the letter, the protest is scheduled to take place on two designated routes: the mainland route, starting at NAHCO Bus Stop and ending at the International Airport, Ikeja, and the Island route, starting at Marwa Bus Stop, Lekki Phase 1, and ending at Eti-Osa Local Government.
FCT police deploys 4,200 cops
Ahead of the nationwide protest, the Federal Capital Territory Police Command has deployed a total of 4,200 policemen across the nooks and crannies of the nation’s capital.
The command also announced the deployment of explosive ordnance device experts at various strategic locations.
In a statement on Friday, the spokesperson for the command, Josephine Adeh, said the deployment was to ensure public safety, protection of protesters, and prevention of hijack by non-state actors.
She added that there would be raids on identified black spots, uncompleted buildings/shanties, and stop-and-search operations among others in collaboration with sister security agencies.
We won’t condone criminality – Ogun CP
Reacting, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, said the command would not fold its hands and allow anyone to destroy property, breach the peace, or attack police officers under the guise of protest.
Alamutu disclosed this while speaking on the readiness of the state command to ensure the protection of lives and property ahead of the national protest.
The CP, in a phone conversation with Saturday According on Friday, said, “We have begun a series of engagements with stakeholders like religious leaders, traditional rulers, youth leaders, and transport workers, among others, on the need for everyone not to fall victim to being used to cause any breach of peace.”
Drones to be used during the protest – Bayelsa CP
Also, the Bayelsa State Police Command outlined measures to handle the protest.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Musa Mohammed, told our correspondents on Friday that the Commissioner of Police, Francis Idu, directed all divisional police officers, tactical and drone units to be on alert during the protest.
Also, the Delta State Police Command said it was ready to handle the August protest in the state. The command’s spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, stated this in an interview with Saturday According on Friday in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Sonubi Ayodele, on Thursday, assured protesters of maximum security as long as the protest is peaceful.
The Osun State Police Command spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, on her part, said adequate security measures had been put in place across the state to guarantee maximum security for law-abiding residents.
Police, NSCDC beef up security in Kwara
The Kwara State Police Command and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps have equally put their personnel on red alert.
The spokesperson for the police in the state, Ejire-Adeyemi Toun, said the command had put in place adequate measures to prevent any breakdown of law and order in the state before, during, and after the August date of the planned protest.
“The command has put its personnel on red alert over the planned August 1 protest. We have emplaced watertight measures to forestall a recurrence of the #EndSARS riotous protest in any part of Kwara State,” she said.
We’ll be involved when police are overwhelmed – Military
The Defence Headquarters said it was monitoring the situation around the proposed nationwide protest.
In response to an inquiry from our correspondent on Friday, the Director of Defence Operations, Major General Edward Buba, stated that the military would only become involved if the police were overwhelmed.
He said, “The military is in situational awareness mode, monitoring events related to the planned protest. According to the constitution, we will only get involved when invited due to the police being overwhelmed.”
Consider dialogue, CAN begs
Meanwhile, ahead of the #EndBadGovernance protests scheduled to commence on the 1st of August 2024, the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria has urged Nigerians to consider alternative means of expressing their grievances to the government.
This was contained in a statement signed by the CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, who asked the protest groups to rather use the period to explore legal avenues, to avoid a hijack of the protests by hoodlums, adding that dialogue, town hall meetings, and petitions were viable means that could yield positive results.
“Dialogue, petitions, and town hall meetings are viable options that can yield positive results without the risk of disorder,” he said.
Tompolo begs youths to shelve protest
The Chairman of the Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo), has appealed to those behind the planned August 1 to 10, 2024 nationwide protest to shelve the idea in the interest of the country.
Tompolo, who is the Ibe-Ebidouwei of the Ijaw Nation, said though there was hunger and hardship in the land, the President and his team were not sleeping over the concerns of the people.
Tompolo’s appeal, which was contained in a statement he signed on Friday, follows similar concerns expressed by the National Security Adviser, governors, top traditional rulers and others in the days leading to the protest.
He said, “I am aware of Mr President’s efforts to get things right in the country, and truly, things are getting better. For instance, there has been a great improvement in the oil and gas sector in the last one year, which is still the mainstay of our economy.”
SANs warn against brutality
Sharing their views on the nationwide protest, a senior lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, stated that Nigerians were divided because of the palpable suffering in the land which a protest would no doubt exacerbate.
“Many wonder about the following: How long will it last? What will be the means to support it through? Who are those behind it? Are they politicians or the common beleaguered masses? Will the Federal Government ignore the wailing voices of the people and act viciously like William Ruto of Kenya, a step that backfired and which still haunts him to date?” he queried.
Quoting from Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, the legal luminary said every Nigerian citizen had the right to peaceful assembly and association. He also said Section 41(1) gave every citizen the right to freedom of movement.
Another senior lawyer, Awa Kalu, SAN, said there were enough sections in the law that allowed for protest. “Nobody can stop a protest. The Nigerian Constitution is not against protest, peaceful protest. That is the right to assembly. It is normal for people to be divided about an issue. Those speaking against the protest are only doing political management.
“That’s what I see. It does not reflect the facts of life or what the people are going through. Any part of Nigeria that feels dissatisfied with the way things are going, even if it is a single individual, has the right to embark on a protest.”
Another senior lawyer, Kunle Adegoke, SAN, said he did not see anything wrong with anyone protesting. However, he warned protesters to be wary of saboteurs.
He said, “Whatever protest anybody is going to engage in, they need to endeavour to make it completely peaceful without destroying any public property.”
Shun protest, Kebbi urges youths
Meanwhile, the Kebbi State Government has appealed to the youth, civil servants, and other concerned citizens in the state to shun the planned nationwide protest in the interest of peace, unity, and progress of Nigeria.
Addressing a press conference in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday, the state Head of Civil Service, Alhaji Safiyanu Garba-Bena, observed that the planned protest would hinder the dividends of democracy being enjoyed across the state.
According to him, participating in the protest will not reflect well on the state, considering the developmental projects embarked upon by the state government under the current administration.
Meanwhile, a former director of the Department of State Services, Mike Ejiofor, has said the “provocative” statements credited to aides and associates of President Bola Tinubu are not helping to calm the tension in the country ahead of the planned nationwide protest.
Afenifere calls for caution
Also lending its voice, the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and socio-political organisation, Afenifere, on Thursday, appealed to Nigerians to be cautious regarding the protests.
Afenifere, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, stated that while people had an inalienable right to protest, consideration should be given to the general atmosphere surrounding the planned protest.
Dialogue, not protest, Sultan begs
The Jama’atu Nasril Islam under the leadership of Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, on Friday, appealed to protest conveners, stakeholders, and the Federal Government to engage in dialogue before the situation escalates.
The Muslim organisation acknowledged that Nigerians faced difficult challenges but noted that protests might not be the solution.
The JNI is led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, who is also the spiritual leader of Nigerian Muslims.
The Sultan of Sokoto implored Nigerians to be introspective and honest, acknowledging that discontent and disillusionment needed to be addressed by the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government.
Meanwhile, a human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has revealed that participants in the planned nationwide protest would receive free legal representation if arrested in Lagos State.
Additional reports: Olufemi Adediran, Animasahun Salman, Collins Agwam, Deborah Musa, Nathaniel Shaibu, Tunde Oyekola, Bola Bamigbola, Matthew Ochei, Daniel Ayantoye, Samuel Ese, Bankole Taiwo, Ademola Adegbite, Abiodun Nejo, Matthew Ochei, Godwin Isenyo, and Tolulope Fasuan